Sandy's Long Lines Ignite Short Fuses At Gas Stations

The Shell, Delta and Sunoco gas stations that line River Road in New Milford are all out of gas and closed for business, making residents with cars and generators wondering where they can gas up.

Stations that still had gas this morning were limiting distribution to generators only. 

The Hess Station adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel in Fort Lee is the only gas station open on Route 4 East between Teaneck and the George Washington Bridge and, as of 3 pm, had a line of parked cars stretching well past the Grand Avenue exit in Englewood.

Port Authority and Fort Lee Police, along with Fort Lee Fire Prevention, were on hand to maintain order at the pumps. However, when one car tried to ease its way into the middle of the wait further down the road in Englewood, other drivers waiting their turn began to shout insults and obscenities from their open car windows. That prompted the driver who was trying to cut in line to get out of their car and plead that they were on 'empty.' They received no sympathy from the other drivers, but were successful in blocking another lane of traffic.

Lt. Tom Rowe of the Leonia Police Department, who has been keeping Patch apprised of the area gas situation, has reported that gas deliveries are scheduled for late tonight into tomorrow; officials in Fort Lee report the same. However, they stress that these are just estimates and not guarentees.

A major concern among emergency services in many Bergen County towns is fueling up police cars, fire engines, ambulances, DPW trucks and their equipment--wood chippers, saws, blowers--in light of dwindling fuel supplies.

Steve Curry, head of Fort Lee's Fire Prevention Bureau, said that the Fort Lee Fire Department is limiting first response calls for active alarms to Fire Chiefs and Fire Prevention cars.

"We're only rolling the trucks for emergencies in order to conserve fuel," he said.

How are you handling the gas situation? Do you know of a station that still has gas? We want to know.